Anfernee Simons led the Portland Trail Blazers with 34 points as they pulled away in the second half to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-102 on Monday night.
Simons shot 13-for-26 from the field and 6-for-11 from three-point range, with 21 of his points coming after halftime. Shaedon Sharpe contributed 20 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and five assists to help Portland secure its fourth win in five games.
Andre Drummond had a dominant performance for the 76ers, finishing with 25 points, 18 rebounds, and two steals. Rookie Justin Edwards added 16 points and six boards, but it was not enough to keep Philadelphia from dropping its ninth game in the last ten.
The Blazers trailed 61-56 at halftime but outscored the Sixers by 22 points in the second half. A late third-quarter run turned a one-point game into a double-digit advantage entering the final period.
Portland controlled the glass, outrebounding Philadelphia 61-43. Rookie center Donovan Clingan secured 13 rebounds, while reserve big man Duop Reath added five boards and three three-pointers off the bench.
Shaedon Sharpe played 37 minutes, leading Portland’s balanced attack alongside Simons. The Blazers also received solid contributions from Toumani Camara, who posted 11 points and nine rebounds, and Deni Avdija, who chipped in nine points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Scoot Henderson facilitated the offense with six assists in 21 minutes off the bench. Kris Murray and Jabari Walker combined for 10 points and nine rebounds, helping Portland maintain its energy in the second half.
Philadelphia struggled offensively in the third quarter, managing just 20 points as Portland’s defense tightened. Tyrese Maxey had an off night, scoring only five points on 2-for-13 shooting. Quentin Grimes added 14 points and nine assists but went 0-for-5 from deep.
Lonnie Walker IV, who recently returned to the league from Zalgiris Kaunas, scored 13 points off the bench, and Jeff Dowtin Jr. added 11 for the Sixers. Despite Drummond’s dominant rebounding performance, Philadelphia could not overcome Portland’s second-half surge.
The 76ers, missing several key players, will look to snap their losing streak in the coming games. Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Joel Embiid were all sidelined, leaving the team shorthanded.
Portland took control with an 11-2 run to close the third quarter, pushing their lead to 91-81. The Blazers led by double digits for nearly the entire fourth quarter, never allowing Philadelphia to get back into the game.
With the win, Portland improved to 28-34 on the season, sitting 12th in the Western Conference. Philadelphia fell to 21-39, remaining 12th in the Eastern Conference as their struggles continued.
